TAMPA, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Eyelid surgery is one of the most common types of plastic surgery, but downtime is often a major concern for patients. Now, a new device is showing promising signs to help speed up recovery by decreasing swelling and bruising.
Seventy-three-year-old Marsha Hoke had her lower eyelids done by Dr. William Mack, oculoplastic surgeon, one of the first surgeons in the country to test the lid-lift goggles.
After surgery, she used the goggles, which cause light compression around the eyes.
“By applying pressure it’s helping with the leakage from the capillaries after surgery, which in turn will decrease the bruising and swelling,” William Mack, MD, said.
“I mean you can’t see a thing. It’s blackout blind,” Hoke described.
Patients wear the goggles for three days, for 80 percent of the day and all night. Early testing showed a three-to-five-fold reduction in swelling and bruising, compared to using ice.
Hoke told Ivanhoe, “One week after, he did a double take and he goes, ‘you look like you’re a month out!”
Doctor Mack says another benefit is improved compliance.
“It sounds nice to tell your patients to do ice for the first couple of days, a lot of times patients won’t follow directions,” Dr. Mack said.
One update after initial testing: eyehole cut outs that can be removed during the day so patients don’t always have to be in the dark.
Most important: the results, especially when you can heal faster and need less down time at home.
The doctor says an added benefit of wearing the goggles at night is that they provide protection to the eyelids if a patient tries to roll over onto their face. The goggles are now available to surgeons nationwide and in several other countries. For more information you can go to www.lidliftgoggle.com.
Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Executive Producer; Angie Moreschi, Field Producer; Chad Soriano, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.